One For Each Night
by familyofthieves
Summary: Eight different times in the lives Henry could have had.
1. Pregnant

**A/N: **I celebrate Chanukah and decided to do something fun for the holiday. Plus I've had all these little unrelated one shots running around in my head, and I figured this was the perfect way to get them out. There are going to be eight chapters (for the eight nights of Chanukah) unrelated one shots that revolve around Henry in someway told from different POVs. This first chapter is something that came to me after watching _Tallahassee. _I hope you enjoy it!

**Disclaimer: **I never have and never will own any of these characters.

* * *

She was sick again. It was supposed to be a two day trip from Portland to Tallahassee, but with the amount of time she had made Neal pull over it wasn't going to be that simple.

"Are you sure you're okay." Neal asked worriedly as he held her hair back.

"Yeah." Emma groaned and did a final spit for good measure.

Without a pause Neal handed her a water bottle, which she gratefully took. She took a sip to wash the awful taste out of her mouth and spit that out before taking a larger gulp to rehydrate.

"I think we should stop Emma." Neal suggested as he pushed a stray piece of hair behind Emma's ear trying to be desecrate about checking for a fever.

"No we need to keep going."

"You're sick Emma and I don't want you to get worse."

"No I'm fine honesty. I'm already feeling better." Emma gave Neal her best puppy dogface, the one she knew he couldn't resist.

"Fine, but I want you to sleep in the back."

She nodded her head yes in agreement. From the look on his face she knew he still wasn't convinced, but as long as they kept driving it was okay. They had managed to sell off the remaining watches which left them plenty of money to run away to Tallahassee and not have to worry about getting caught by the cops. It had taken some time to get new identities and of course make the car legit, but they were finally off to their new home in Tallahassee. Of course during all this planning they had not factored in Emma getting sick. Hopefully with some rest she would start to feel better.

Emma moved from her spot in the front and laid down in the back. She didn't want to worry Neal more, but she was exhausted. This sickness was taking a whole lot more out of her then she was letting on. She was actually relieved to be lying down in the back; it had more room than the front.

Neal pulled a blanket from the bottom of the car and laid it on top of Emma. He gave her a kiss on the forehead and a final worried look before getting back into the driver's seat. Once the car was in motion it didn't take long for Emma to fall asleep.

Emma had no idea how long she had been asleep, but she did feel better than before her nap. She sat up in the back seat and stretched out the kinks that came from sleeping in the car.

"Hey you're up, how are you feeling?" Neal said glancing back at her before turning to keep his eyes on the road; he did not want to get pulled over.

"Much better." Emma answered, Neal shot her a look. "Honestly I do. It must have been something I ate."

"If you say so."

"So where are we?" She asked wanting the change the subject.

"Somewhere in Nebraska."

"Nebraska? How long have I been asleep?"

"A long time, you must have needed it."

"I guess so, though I feel bad making you drive for so long. We were supposed to split it."

"It's okay, you needed rest."

"Alright, but after our next stop I am taking over, we can't have you falling asleep at the wheel."

"Deal. So do you think your stomach can handle some food?"

"I think it can, I can really go for a cheese burger right now."

"Should you be eating that after being sick?"

Emma shrugged, "I don't know, but I am really craving one right now."

"Well first place I see I'll pull over and get you a burger."

Emma leaned forward in her seat to kiss Neal on the cheek. While she was still tired, her nausea was completely gone. She could easily chalk the throwing up to something bad she ate or the nervous energy she had the past few days before the left Portland. She knew the plan wasn't going to fail, but there still had been a strange feeling in her stomach. Hopefully once the made it safely to Tallahassee, her stomach would be back to normal.

The rest of their ride was uneventful. Emma had to fight hard against the pull of sleep as Neal rested beside her. She couldn't figure out why she was so exhausted after she had slept for hours before. She didn't want to wake Neal up, so she fought through it. Or at least she did until she had no choice but to pull over and throw up again. Maybe that cheeseburger wasn't the best idea. Luckily Neal did not wake up, so she was able to keep it a secret.

When Neal did wake up a few hours later Emma gladly let him take over the driving and once again passed out. The next time she woke up they were in Tallahassee. She bounced in her seat excitedly as Neal drove through the city. For now they would continue to crash in the car, but tomorrow they would start looking for their own apartment. They weren't looking for anything big or lavish, just something they could call home. Their old lives of stealing were officially behind them and their future looked very bright.

The only thing that brought a damper on all their happiness was Emma's sickness. She continued to get sick and just felt off. Neal was worried and pushed her to see a doctor, but Emma insisted that it would pass. It was probably left over nervous energy that was making her sick, plus being in a car for so long would make anyone tired and achy.

It wasn't until Emma looked at the date on a calendar did she start to put the pieces together. Neal was at his new job leaving Emma alone in their apartment. She was looking at the calendar to see what day it was, when she realized something was wrong. She counted on her fingers to make sure her mind wasn't playing tricks on her. When she knew the math was right she stood there in shock unable to believe what she just realized. There was only one way to find out for sure though, after all it could still be stressed related.

Emma grabbed her purse and ran out the door. The local pharmacy was only a block away from their place so it didn't take her long to get there. Even though she wasn't supposed to steal anymore, this one item she couldn't bare to buy. Casually walking down the aisle she pushed it into her purse before moving along. To make up for stealing she bought herself some hot chocolate and milk.

With her purchases she ran back to the apartment, she wanted to find out the answer as soon as possible. She read over the instructions mostly to stall for time, before actually following them. Wanting to be sure of the answer Emma used both products that came with the box.

She sat and waited anxiously on the bed for the timer on her phone to go off. Maybe she should have waited for Neal to come home to do this, it would have made her feel a lot better. But at the same time she didn't want to worry him if it turned out to be nothing.

Finally Emma heard the beeping of her phone and she went to the dresser to learn her fate. She picked up the first stick and fell back onto the bed in shock as she looked down at the answer.

This was how Neal found her when he got home from work.

"Emma what's wrong?" He asked running over to her.

Emma finally looked up to look into his eyes. "I finally figured out why I've been so sick. So I ran to the pharmacy and stole… I just couldn't go through with buying it and I promise it will be the last thing I steal."

"Hey, it's okay Emma, just tell me what happened."

"So I came home and I followed the instructions, and…and…"

Not able to get the words out she handed over the test. Neal gave Emma a confused look as he took it, but his eyes widened when he realized what he was holding.

"Is this…?" He asked, Emma nodded her head yes. "Are you sure?"

Again she nodded her head, "I took two and both said the same thing, that I'm…I'm…"

"Pregnant."

That was when Emma lost it. Hearing the words from Neal's lips made it all real. She buried her face into her hands as the tears streamed down her face. Neal reacted quickly and pulled her into her arms.

"Hey it's going to be okay." He murmured.

"How can it be Neal?"

"Because we have enough money and a home to raise this baby in. Plus we love each other Emma, we can do this."

"You really think so?"

"I really do."

Neal leaned down to kiss Emma on the brow before getting up and crouching in front of her. He pushed up the fabric of her shirt leaving her stomach exposed.

"I love you too baby." He said into her stomach causing Emma to let out a laugh.

"You know he can't hear you."

"I don't care. I want this baby to know how loved he is." He gave her bare stomach a kiss before leaning up to kiss her properly on the lips. "I love you Emma Swan." He whispered touching his forehead to hers.

"I love you too." Emma replied back.

"Now come on I'll make you a cup of hot chocolate with that new box you bought." Neal held out his hand for Emma to take.

"With cinnamon?"

"Like I would dare give you anything less."

Emma took his hand and Neal helped her up from the bed. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and together they walked off into the kitchen.


	2. Newborn

**A/N: **I am amazed by the feedback I got for the first chapter. I am so glad you are all interested in it. For the second chapter we are going in a slightly different direction.I might not have made this clear in the last A/N but they are all different one shots of lives Henry could have had. I hope I do not lose anyone who thinks that this is all Emma/Neal/Henry, and sorry for any confusion. But don't worry those three will make another appearance, I'm just not saying when. The second night's one shot is also an idea that came to me after watching _Tallahassee._ Also as a disclaimer I know very little about prisons and adoptions, so I apologize for any mistakes. As always I hope you all enjoy and please let me know what you think!

* * *

August had told him to stay away if he wanted what was best for Emma, and for the most part he agreed with that. But he had to see her with his own eyes to believe that she was okay. Well he knew she wasn't okay, she was in jail after all, but he needed to check. It was more for his benefit then hers, Emma would never know about his secret plan.

August hadn't given him the name of the prison she was in, but with some research he was able to figure it out. He would find a way to see her from afar, though it was going to be difficult. At least he had the name of the place now, which was a big start. He had stolen a new car for his trip from Canada to Phoenix. He did feel guilty about stealing, he wanted to get a clean start for Emma, but he had no money and needed a way to get to her.

Once this trip was over and he saw Emma he would put the past completely behind him, which included her. Of course she would always be in the back of his mind, she was the first person he loved, but if he wanted to not feel guilty about what he did and to resist the temptation of seeing her again he had to move on and forget.

Ever since he got to Phoenix he made a point to drive past the prison at least once a day. It was the closest he could get to her at the moment. When he first made the trip he hadn't taken into account the location of the prison. It was easily visible from the main road, but he could only see the front entrance. There were no larger trees or forests for him to hide in so he could look onto the grounds. He was trying to come up with a plan B, but it harder then he thought.

It was during his usual trip down the road when he noticed a white car driving out of the gate. Something in his gut told him to follow it, so he decided to listen to it. He drove down the roads close enough so he wouldn't lose the car, but far enough away so they wouldn't get suspicious.

Finally the car pulled into the parking lot of a doctor's office. His eyes opened wide when he saw the correction officer and Emma coming out of the car. This was the moment he had been looking for, though it worried him that she was at the doctor's. She couldn't be okay if she had to leave the prison to go.

It wasn't until he did a complete once over Emma's body did he realize why she was there. He was so focused on seeing her face that he almost missed it, but now that he saw the bulging stomach he couldn't take his eyes off of it. Emma was pregnant, with what he assumed was his child. It had to be his, there was no way she could have been with anyone else from their last time together to this moment.

Neal watched Emma until she disappeared into the building and the white car pulled away. He pulled into an empty spot and turned off his car, there was no way he was driving off right now. He dropped his head into his hands, his Emma was pregnant he still couldn't get over seeing her like that. As if he didn't feel horrible enough about the situation. First she was in jail for a crime he committed and now she was in jail pregnant with his child.

He knew he shouldn't have listened to August. They were just about to stop stealing and really settle down, and a baby would have only reinforced that decision. They would have figured out a way to break that stupid curse and they would have been together.

Now Emma would have to raise a child and break that curse all on her own. That is if she kept the baby. Was she even allowed to keep their baby if she was in jail? A horrible thought ran though his mind that she would have to give their baby up for adoption. He couldn't let that happen. This baby deserved to have one of its biological parents. And if it couldn't be Emma then it damn well better be him.

Once he saw Emma leave he could start to figure out how to adopt their baby without having her find out. He needed to see her one last time since he knew that this was going to be the last time he saw her for at least 10 years.

When she came out of the office Neal still couldn't get over the bulge. She looked as beautiful as ever, and wished he could go up and tell her that. But he couldn't go back on his word, plus she would probably slap him.

The white car drove off into the distance and Neal knew that it would be the last time he saw it. He took a few moments to gather himself before driving off to the hotel he had been staying at. During his stay in Canada he had worked a few odd jobs to make some money. Now he wished that he had kept some of the money he gave to Emma. He knew she would understand if he planned on using it for their baby. He could really use some of that money; he knew that babies weren't cheap. He hadn't planned on getting a job once he saw Emma, or to stay longer then this, but if he was going through with this adoption he had no choice to settle down for the rest of her pregnancy.

It had taken longer then Neal would have liked to get all the paper work though with the adoption. The only positive side to all this chaos was that Emma wanted a closed adoption; she didn't even want to know who took the baby. This allowed him to stay hidden and keep his word about staying away from her. Aside from that, the whole process had not been easy. He wanted to say that he was the birth father, that had to have some merit to it. But he worried that word might get to Emma about it, which would defeat the purpose of the closed adoption.

Neal got through it, and then all that was left was waiting for that call. And it finally did in the middle of the night. He jumped out of bed and ran to his car to drive to the hospital. He knew it would be awhile before Emma gave birth, but he wanted to be there for her. While he couldn't go into the room at least he could be in the same hospital.

10 hours later a nurse came out to greet him with the news that Emma had a healthy baby boy. Tears sprang into his eyes, he had a son. Neal followed the nurse down the hallways to the nursery where his son was. He wanted to veer off to go see Emma and let her know how proud his was and that their baby was going to be safe, but he couldn't do that. He focused all his energy on knowing that in a few moments he was see his…their son for the first time.

The tears came back when he saw the baby lying in the crib swaddled in the generic hospital baby. There were no words to describe how he was feeling.

"Would you like to hold him?" The nurse asked.

All Neal could do was nod his head yes; he didn't trust himself to speak. The nurse picked up his son and laid him in his arms. Instinctively his baby nuzzled closer to him as if he knew that this was his father.

"Hey buddy." Neal cooed. He couldn't believe that he and Emma made this beautiful baby.

"Do you have a name for him?" The nurse asked.

Neal thought for a moment, in all the paper work and planning he had done he had forgotten to pick out a name. Finally a name appeared to him form a distant memory when times were simple between him and Emma. At that moment they pretended she was pregnant in order to steal food from a convenience store. While distracting the cashier he noticed key chains with names hanging from a rack, with one particular name sticking out.

"Henry, his name is Henry." Neal answered quickly looking up at the nurse before turning his attention back to his son. "What do you think, do you like Henry?"

Henry let out yawn opening his little mouth wide, Neal took that as a yes. He let out a little laugh before leaning down to kiss the baby's head.

A day later Neal was able to bring Henry home from the hospital. The plan was to stay in Phoenix for a few months so Henry could continue seeing the pediatrician. Once he got a clean bill of health and all his shots they would move onto Tallahassee. Together they would live out his and Emma's original plan.

"Welcome home Henry." Neal said opening the door to the small apartment he bought. "I know it isn't much, but I will get us something better soon."

He put the car seat down on the table and took Henry out. Now that his son was home he never wanted to let him go. Henry opened his blue green eyes and blinked sleepily up at his father.

"Sorry buddy it's just me and it's going to be that way for awhile." Neal explained as he got himself comfortable on the bed. "I wish your mommy could be here, but she is has a destiny to save many people. I know you might not understand it now or ever, heck I still don't. But as soon as she breaks this curse you are I are going to meet her again. Until that moment I am going to do my best to raise you and try to make up for not having your mom. I know it won't be the same, because your mommy would have been amazing and done a much better job at raising you then me. But us boys have to stick together and we are going to make your mommy proud."

Henry had looked at Neal the entire conversation as if he understood every single word that was spoken. He smiled down at his son and gave him a kiss on the head.

"You are going to be an amazing kid you know? Heck if you can put with me as a father you can do anything. I don't know much about babies, but I am going to do my best. The one thing I do know is that I love you and I think that can be enough, agreed?" Henry let out a gurgle as if in agreement.

Neal smiled down at his son. He held out a finger running it up and down Henry's palm before the baby wrapped his tiny hand around it. The next few years weren't going to be easy. There were sure to be many questions from Henry about his mother, ones that he couldn't answer. Plus many other mishaps that could only come from raising a boy. They would work through the mistakes and stick together like a father and son should. Henry was his world now, and nothing was going to stop him from giving his son the best life possible.


	3. Three Weeks

**A/N: **Oh my gosh I am over whelmed by the response I got to the last chapter. Thank you all so very much for the kind words and sticking with me. Tonight we are going in a different direction, which I am nervous and excited about. I have no idea where this plot bunny came from, I want to say it was from a fanfic I read. I had totally forgotten about it until I was struggling to come up with a last chapter. I am really proud of how it turned out and I hope you all like it!

* * *

She had no idea how she had let Mr. Gold talk her into adopting a baby. Sure she probably was the best candidate in town to raise a child since she was an elementary school teacher and she did love babies. But other then that she wasn't qualified at all. She was a single woman with a low paying job and an apartment with no walls. Plus she knew very little about babies other then they woke up a lot to be fed and needed constant attention. She probably should have bought herself some baby books to read up on before her special delivery.

There was a part of her that was excited about the new addition. It got awfully lonely in her apartment at night and she could use the company. Sure her company was going to a baby whose only form of communication was crying, but she would take what she could get.

She paced around her apartment nervously waiting for Mr. Gold to arrive. All of the baby furniture was already unpacked and built; the only thing missing was the actual baby. She had set up the crib in her bedroom for now, and it would probably stay there for a while. She did have an upstairs loft that could be used as a bedroom, but she didn't want to be too far away.

Maybe when the baby got older and she didn't have to be taking the baby out of the crib. Actually, probably later then that like when it was safe for a child to walk up and down those stairs by themselves. Looking at them now they seemed like an accident waiting to happen. Come to think of it so was most of her apartment. There were so many things that a child could easily hurt themselves on.

She took a big breath in to relax; she was freaking herself out for no reason. It wasn't like Mr. Gold was giving her a child today. No this was a helpless three week old baby who couldn't even support it's own head. There was no reason to cause a fuss on things a child could get into just yet; she would have plenty of time to do that later. Like when the baby actually starts to crawl and walk. Not that she knew when that was either.

Tomorrow she would head over to the bookstore to pick up some baby books. Could she leave the house with the baby though? It had to be safe since the baby wasn't born in Storybrooke. Or at least that's what assumes. Mr. Gold had said that the mother was a teenager who wasn't ready to take care of a baby yet and she hadn't seen any pregnant teens around town lately, well other then Ashley. But she was pretty sure she wasn't getting her baby, Mr. Gold would have said something about that, or at least she hoped so. She could never be too sure what his motives were.

She usually found it best to avoid the man as much as possible. For the most part it was easy. Other then quick greetings in passing on the street the two rarely spoke. Until a few nights ago he came to her house with the offer.

Mr. Gold had explained about how he learned about this baby and agreed to help with the adoption. He originally had someone else agree to the adoption, but in they end they had backed out leaving him in the predicament of having a baby with no home to go to. Not wanting the baby to go into the system he thought of her, the schoolteacher, as a perfect candidate.

She had been wary of course, unsure if he had any other motives to this adoption. There was always a price to pay with him. But he promised her that he was just looking to give this child a good home. He even offered her eight paid weeks off from work and no rent for two months if she did this well aware that she needed time and money to take care of a baby. She was already terrible at saying no to people, so after he added that to the offer she had no reason to turn him down.

Now that the day was here she was second guessing her decision. But when she heard the knock at the front door she had to drop everything. Nervous butterflies danced in her stomach as she opened the front door.

"Good evening Ms. Blanchard." Mr. Gold greeted.

"Did you walk all the way up the stairs with the baby?" She gasped. She knew that couldn't have been an easy feat since he relied on his cane for mobility.

"Yes, it wasn't as bad as you are making it out to be. But if you wouldn't mind taking the boy."

"Oh yes of course."

Mary Margaret quickly took the car seat from Mr. Gold's hand and carried it over to her dining room table. She quickly took off the blanket that covered the baby, now that they were here she couldn't wait to see him with her own eyes.

"He's beautiful." She sighed looking down at the little bundle.

The baby looked up at her with wide expecting eyes as if he was taking her in. Not able to wait any longer she unbuckled the straps to take him out. As soon as she was properly cradling him he snuggled into her chest knowing that this was his mother. There was something more to it though; it was almost like their bond was built before this moment.

"Do you have a name picked out?" Mr. Gold asking breaking Mary Margaret from her thoughts.

"Excuse me?" She tore her eyes away from her baby to look at him.

"A name, do you have a name for your son?"

She said the first name that came to mind, "Henry. His name is Henry."

"Henry, what a lovely name."

"Thank you."

Now that she had said the name out loud it seemed to fit her son. She actually hadn't thought about names at all. It was hard to when she hadn't known her baby's gender until a moment ago. Though she had always been fond of the name Emma for a girl.

"Is there anything else you need?" Mary Margaret asked. She always felt nervous around Mr. Gold and wanted him out of her apartment.

"Just a few papers to sign, to make Henry legally yours."

"Yes of course. The birth mother still doesn't want anything from me or of Henry?"

"No, she is not in a good place in her life right now and feels that a closed adoption would be best for everyone."

Mary Margaret could only nod her head in agreement. While she respected the birth mother's decision to give up her son and thought it was very brave of the teen, she couldn't understand why she wanted a closed adoption and to know nothing about her son. She was more then willing to share pictures and stories with her, if she wanted. If she ever changed her mind and wanted to know more about Henry she would be open to it.

With the ease of someone who had held a baby before, Mary Margaret switched Henry to one arm to look over the adoption papers and sign on all the appropriate lines.

"That's everything, congratulations Ms. Blanchard he is legally yours." Mr. Gold gave her a rare smile as he collected the papers.

"Thank you, for everything." She replied and cuddled Henry closer to her body.

"It was no problem, I just wanted to make sure the boy ended up with someone who wanted him. You take good care of him now."

"Of course."

"And you be good to your Mom Henry." Mr. Gold looked down at the baby. "Good night."

"Good night."

Mary Margaret followed him and closed and locked the door behind him. It was official she was now a mother to a perfect little boy. Now that she held Henry in her arms she couldn't even remember why she was questioning her decision. It was like she was meant to have this baby in her life; it was destined for her to adopt him. In that moment Mary Margaret knew that Henry was going to do something amazing for the both of them.


	4. Two Years

**A/N: **Again I am overwhelmed by the amount of people who read the last chapter, I am so glad you all liked it! And who knows maybe I will turn that chapter into a full length story. Tonight's chapter goes back to another story I have going (and still have yet to finish). I have had this idea running around my head for awhile now and since I probably won't get up to it in the other story, I figured I would put it here. Enjoy!

* * *

It had been another long day at work. The end of the school year was always chaotic for a teacher. Not only did she have her usual lesson plans to write, but also reports on each of her students. Then there was the usual insanity that came with children who were itching to be outside. Needless to say she was happy to be home.

"Hello." She called out entering the apartment.

She didn't hear anyone call back, but the lights were on letting her know that her family was home. She placed her bag down on the ground and kicked off her shoes. She turned around just in time to see a little naked boy running towards her.

"Henry what are you doing?" She asked scooping up her grandson.

"No." Henry threw his arms around her neck.

She laughed and kissed his head. Even though she spent all day with children she was always excited to get home to her grandson.

"Henry you get back here." She heard her daughter say sternly followed by her daughter. "Mom, I didn't hear you get home."

"I just walked in and this guy came running out to great me." She said bouncing Henry up on her hip.

"It's bath time and he decided to not listen to me."

"Did you not listen to Mommy Henry?"

"No." Henry shouted.

"No has been his word of the day." Emma sighed.

"Is that true?"

"No." Henry said again.

She let out a laugh, "It's been that kind of day huh?"

"You have no idea. Do you want to help me give him a bath?"

"Let me change my shirt first then I'll join you guys. How does that sound Henry?"

Once again Henry answered with a no causing Emma to groan and Snow to laugh. She passed off her grandson to his mother and watched them head towards the bathroom. She quickly walked to her bedroom to change. She loved bath time with her family. Henry's little squeals as they tried hard not to get wet, though they somehow managed to always get soaked. Hence the reason for her change of clothes.

When she was out of her work clothes she headed to the bathroom. Emma had shut the door so Henry couldn't get out.

"Just in time." Emma smiled up at her.

I picked Henry up from where he was sitting on the floor and carried him over to the tub.

"No!" he cried and tried to squirm out of my arms, but I had a tight grip on him

For the most part Henry was a sweet boy and just wanted to be cuddled and played with. He had his moments of course; he was only two after all. Bath and bed time were when the tantrums really came out.

Snow managed to get Henry into the tub and Emma held him down as he continued to squirm. Once he realized that the tub wasn't too bad he let out a laugh and started splashing.

"No splashing Henry." Emma tried to say sternly, but the toddler ignored her and continued to throw his hands onto the water.

Snow shook her head with a laugh and pulled out the small cup to fill with water. "Head back." She said in a calm voice.

Henry didn't listen so Emma gently tipped his head back and covered his eyes as Snow poured the water over his hair. Next she put a small amount of shampoo into her hands and rubbed it into her grandson's hair.

"You want a Mohawk Henry?" Snow asked.

"No." Henry replied, but she went through with it anyway.

When she finished pulling all his hair up into the spike Snow smiled down at her creation. Henry laughed and reached his hands up into his hair to feel it. Both had to admit he looked adorable with his hair like that. Snow got the cup filled with water and as a team they worked to get the shampoo out of Henry's hair without getting it into his eyes.

Next Emma put soap onto the washcloth and ran it over Henry's body. She distracted him from the cleaning by going over his extra ticklish spots causing him to squeal.

Snow sat back and watched her daughter and grandson interact. She loved being able to see them like this, carefree and happy. It was especially meaningful knowing how nervous and scared Emma had been when she first learned she was pregnant. But her daughter had proven herself to be an excellent mother and was doing an amazing job of raising her son. Henry was going to turn out to be a little gentlemen, and just as charming as his grandfather.

Snow held back at sigh when she thought of her husband. It hurt her to know that not only did he miss out on raising his daughter, but also his grandson. She wished more then anything that he could be there with them. The only comfort she had was knowing that it was only going to be another eight years before their family was reunited.

"All clean." Emma cheered waking Snow from her thoughts.

"No." Henry smiled.

"No? What else is there left to clean?" Snow took the washcloth from her daughter and started to tickle Henry with it.

Emma took that moment to unplug the drain and grab the towel. Snow picked the toddler up and quickly transferred him into the towel before he squirmed out of her arms. Emma bundled him up tightly in his shark towel and brought him up high to give him a kiss on the cheek.

"I'll get him dressed." Snow offered and took her little shark of a grandson into her arms.

She carried him off into the bedroom that he and Emma shared. Eventually they would have to get a place with an actual bedroom for him, but for now it worked. She placed Henry on the ground and let him run around with the towel on him while she gathered his clothes.

Snow turned back around to see that Henry had throw off his towel and was no running around the room naked again. Apparently clothes were optional today too.

"Come here Henry." She laughed.

"No." Henry shouted, but ran over to her.

"I think we need to re teach you what no means."

Henry giggled at her. Snow shook her head; her grandson was too cute for his own good. She grabbed the towel to completely dry him off and then put on his diaper and pajamas.

"Go see Mommy." She said once he was all dressed.

"No!" Henry ran off yelling.

She followed her grandson out into the main part of the apartment just in time to see Emma catch him and throw him up into the air.

"Have you eaten yet?" She asked.

"No I was waiting for you, plus I never got the chance with this little guy running around all day." Emma tickled Henry's sides eliciting another fit of giggles.

"Why don't I make us something while you finish getting him ready for bed?"

"Fine make me do the hard task." Emma replied sarcastically, when in reality she loved putting her son to bed even if it was a difficult task.

Snow started pulling out the appropriate pot deciding to make a simple dish tonight, she was too tired for anything more complex. Emma danced around her preparing Henry's final snack of the night, while he clung onto his mom watching the two women with rapt attention.

"Say goodnight to Grandma." Emma told Henry.

"Night." He held out his arms to give her a hug.

"We finally got a different word out of you." Snow laughed as she leaned forward into the hug. "Goodnight Henry."

She gave him a final kiss on the cheek before Emma carried him off into their bedroom. Snow got back to work on making dinner wanting it to be finished by the time her daughter came back out. Hopefully the two could have a quiet conversation without a toddler at their feet, but those chances were slim. Henry had a habit of getting out of bed forcing Snow or Emma to get up and put him back. It was all in a days work as a mother and grandmother to a two-year-old boy.

At times it could be challenging, but at the end of the day there was no place else she rather be then with her daughter and grandson. The only thing that could make everything better was if Charming was with them. She was counting down the days until she got to see him again. Until that moment she would remember every little detail so that when they were reunited she could retell him everything so it will be as if he had not missed out on anything.


	5. Three Years

**A/N: **Thank you all again so much for the kind words, you guys are all amazing. This next chapter also goes back to another one of my stories. And if you pay close attention it might come up again somewhere else (hint hint). And as a disclaimer there is a certain fact in here that I do know (being secretive cause I don't want to spoil the chapter) but I am making the assumption that we are talking to a three year old who does not understand geography. I hope you enjoy!

* * *

It had been a long ride from their home is Austen Texas, but they had finally reached Florida. Luckily for her Henry had slept for most of the ride. The original plan was to drive straight from Austin to Tallahassee in one day, but that went out the door as soon as she realized Tallassee was not near the ocean. She was disappointed when she saw that on a map, but did not want to give up on the dream just yet.

Since it was already a long drive she didn't seem the harm in breaking it up by making a stop by a town near the ocean. Plus she could get a few hours of sleep before getting back on the road. Of course that also didn't account for the many stops they had to take so she and Henry could stretch their legs and eat.

When she finally pulled up to the town the sun was just starting to raise. The streets were quiet as most people were still asleep, except for a few crazy people who were out running.

She drove around on the streets until she finally found what she had been searching for, the beach. She pulled her car into an empty parking lot and turned it off. Next she took off her shoes and threw them in the passenger seat. Finally she got out of the car and went to get Henry. She started by taking off his shoes before starting to unbuckle him from the car seat and lifting him out. Her son moaned at the change in location, but she pulled him close and quietly closed the door.

Henry's head fell onto her shoulder as she walked onto the beach. The sand felt cold beneath her bare feet since there was no sun to warm it up.

"Look Henry." She whispered into her son's ear and bounced him a little to wake him up.

Her son moaned in protest again, but his little eyelids opened and his small hand made a fist to rub at his eyes.

"It's the ocean Henry." She tried again, though he continued to stare blearily past her.

Emma couldn't blame the kid; he was only three years old and had just been woken up. He was always a little slow when he couldn't wake up on his own. She was hoping this half dazed state could be used to her advantage when she wanted to go to sleep. The last thing she needed when trying to rest was her son screaming to get out of the car.

Emma started to walk closer to the water and Henry's grip on her strengthened. Maybe he was more alert then she originally thought. And she didn't blame him for being scared. This was his first time seeing the ocean and it was massive, especially to a tiny three years old.

She continued to walk closer though until her feet were at the edge and allowed the water to lap at her feet. It was even colder then the sand, but she enjoyed the moment non-the less.

Prying away Henry's hands from her neck Emma started to lower him to the ground. He let out a cry and tried to squirm back into her arms, but she didn't stop.

"It's okay Henry, I've got you." She soothed.

Emma held tightly onto Henry's arms as his feet touched the water. He jumped up when it ran over his feet and she couldn't help but laugh at his reaction to the cold water. Deciding to make a game out of it she lifted her son up high every time a wave came towards them. Henry laughed loudly enjoying being lifted out of harm's way.

When he finally felt comfortable and realized the water wasn't going to hurt him he started splashing his feet. Emma continued to hold onto him for safety reasons, but allowed her son to play and just enjoy his laughter and exploration.

It was only when Henry started to protest against her grip did she pick him back up and walk away from the water. Her plan for keeping him half asleep went out the window, but she didn't mind. All that mattered to her was that Henry had fun and experienced something new; if there were consequences she would deal with them later.

Emma walked them up to the highest dunes to continue watching the sunrise.

"Isn't it pretty Henry?" She asked, Henry nodded his head in agreement.

She lifted her son up higher on her hip to carry him better and ease the pain she felt. He was getting big too quickly in her opinion. She wanted him to stay this little forever. It was hard for her to admit that her son wasn't a little baby anymore.

Henry let out a big yawn and leaned his head against her shoulder. All that playing in the water had worn him out thankfully and he was starting to fall back asleep. Emma knew that she should get back into the car and drive off someplace for her to nap, but she wasn't ready yet.

Emma leaned down to kiss Henry on the top of his head. "You know what we are going to do when we get to our new home?" her son didn't hear her as he was already half asleep. "We are going to try and find your daddy."

This was the first time she had admitted to the reason why she decided to move to Tallahassee. It was always in the back of her mind, but she had been too afraid to admit it. She knew he probably was not in the city they had planned so long ago to move to, but she had to give it a shot for Henry's sake.

She also wanted to shove it in Neal's face how well she was doing without him. Other then that she had no plans of what she would do if she did find him. But she would deal with that later, she needn't worrying about things if they weren't a problem yet.

Emma looked down at Henry to see that he had fallen back to sleep once again. She quickly pulled out the camera that was in her pocket and turned around so the ocean was to their backs. She snapped a picture of the two of them so she could remember Henry's first trip to the beach. She had an album going already with a bunch of her son's firsts plus other random pictures in between. Since she had nothing like that from her childhood, she wanted to make up for it with him.

With one final look at the beach Emma walked back to her car. She would have to make a trip out to it again once they had settled in Tallahassee. It couldn't be that far away for a day trip.

When they got back to the car she wiped off the sand from her and Henry's feet before getting him back into his car seat. She got into the drivers side and turned on the car off to find a dark spot where she could nap for a couple hours. Once she woke up she would finish the drive to their new home in Tallahassee where hopefully good things would great them.


	6. Five Years

**A/N: **You guys continue to amaze me. I cannot believe how many people are reading this story, it means a lot to me. So tonight's one shot goes back to another chapter. I struggled to come up with eight individual AUs with a plot I could write a whole chapter on. Hopefully you guys won't mind the repeat. Please enjoy!

* * *

He woke up with a start, a scream caught in his throat. He sat in bed panting trying to calm himself after the nightmare he just had. It wasn't until after he wasn't scared anymore did he realize something in his bed felt weird. He pulled off the sheets to see what was going on to find a big wet spot on his pants, this was not good. He hadn't wanted to wake up his mommy and daddy, he was a big boy now after all, but it looked like he had no choice now.

He pushed himself out of bed and tiptoed across the hall to his parents' room. The door was already open and he could see his mommy and daddy sleeping. He took a big breath in for courage and walked all the way into the room.

"Mommy?" he whispered into her ear and gently shook her shoulder.

His mommy rolled over and looked at her son worriedly, "What's the matter kid?"

"I wet the bed." He mumbled looking down at his feet in embarrassment.

"Its okay Henry." Emma said in a soft tone. She turned to her other side and shook Neal awake.

"What is it?" he asked still half asleep.

"Henry had an accident, can you clean him up while I get his bed?"

"Of course."

Henry watched as both of his parents got out of their bed and his daddy walked over to him to lead him into the bathroom.

"I'm sorry daddy." He mumbled still not able to look up.

Neal crouched down so he was at the same level as the five year old and lifted his chin so their eyes met, "It's okay buddy, accidents happen." Henry nodded his head, though he still felt bad about it. "Now let's get you cleaned up.

Neal helped Henry out of his dirty pajamas and threw them into the sink. He turned on the water to let them soak. Next he turned on the shower and helped his son into it. He prepared a washcloth and ran it over Henry's little body until he was cleaned.

After turning off the water he wrapped the child in a big fluffy towel and carried him off into the bedroom where Emma was waiting with a fresh pair of pajamas. He kept his eyes away from his bed so he didn't have to see where it all happened as he dressed himself.

He was confused when his daddy picked him up again and carried him back into their bedroom.

"Why are we going to your room?" He asked.

"You're going to sleep with us since your bed is still drying." He mommy answered.

"But what if I wet the bed again?"

His daddy kissed his head with a smile, "I don't think that is going to happen buddy now that you are with us."

Henry was confused as to why his parents were so sure he wasn't going to do it again, but he did have to admit that sleeping in their bed would make him feel safer. Anytime he was with them he knew that nothing bad was going to happen.

Once they were all tucked into bed his Mommy turned to him, "Did anything happen before you woke up?"

Henry nodded his head, "I had a really bad dream that an evil queen was after me and I kept trying to run away but she was always there."

"An evil queen huh?" Emma looked over at Neal, who had a guilty look on his face. "You let him watch that movie didn't you?"

"I thought he could handle it." He tried to defend himself.

"Plus I begged Daddy to let me watch it. Please don't be mad at him." Henry butted in; he didn't want his daddy to get in trouble for something he made him do.

"It's okay buddy, it's my fault anyway. But next time we are going to listen to your mommy, she is the boss around here."

Emma rolled her eyes and pulled her son in close, "No more bad dreams tonight Henry, alright? There are no such things as evil queens and even if there were they would have no reason going after you."

Neal let out a snort, and Henry looked up at him confused. Emma quickly shot him a look that parents did when they didn't want their child knowing something. Neal let out a defeated sigh and smiled down at his son.

"Don't worry Henry there will be no evil queens after you tonight, or ever." He said, and it was good enough for the five year old.

He nodded his head and was about to close his eyes when he remembered something, "Daddy?"

"Yeah kid?" Neal turned his head to his five year old son.

"I think the dream catcher is broked."

Both his parents laughed, which cause Henry to pout he didn't understand what was so funny.

"Why do you think that?" Emma quickly asked biting her lip to stop the laughter.

"Cause it didn't catch my bad dream Mommy." He answered. His parents could be so weird sometimes.

"It's probably not broken Henry, this one dream might have been too big for it to catch"

"Well then we should get a bigger so it won't happen again."

"I'll see what I can do about that tomorrow, but for now you have something better to catch your bad dreams then an old dream catcher." Neal spoke up with a smile on his face.

"What's that?"

"You have Mommy and me. We won't let any bad dreams get passed us."

"Good." Henry answered before letting out a big yawn.

"Time for bed kid, we love you."

"I love you too."

Emma and Neal both gave Henry a kiss on his head. He cuddled up close to his mommy and felt his dads arm wrap around both of them so he smushed in the middle between them. Feeling safe, warm, and dry he allowed his eyes to close. He felt his mommy run her fingers through his hair as he fell back to sleep.


	7. Seven Years

**A/N: **Seriously, you guys are amazing! Tonight's chapter is going in a different direction again. I've had this idea when I first started watched the series (a year ago this January) and I haven't found the right moment to publish it. So instead I am putting out this one shot. Please enjoy and let me know what you think!

* * *

He had always been a light sleeper. Ever since his days on the farm when he needed to be alert for anything and then again when he was on the run with Snow. Plus adding a baby into the mix just left him always on alert for the slightest amount of noise.

Tonight as he was lying next to his wife he could hear the sound of feet walking up and down the hallway. It wasn't the usual sound that came with the guards doing their rounds. These were much lighter and sounded like the person walking was not wearing shoes.

Since Snow was sleeping peacefully beside him he knew it couldn't be her out there. That meant there were only two other options left. Deciding to solve the mystery he pushed himself out of bed and headed out his bedroom.

He stood in the doorway and looked around. No one was in the hallway at the moment, but the individual would have to make their way back eventually. He let out a yawn as he leaned against the wall. All he really wanted to do was to join his wife back in their bed and go back to sleep, but he needed to solve this mystery first. He knew that it wasn't an enemy; no one could get past the dwarves and his army. It had to be someone already inside the castle, and he had a good feeling he knew who it was.

Finally the person, or should he say people, made their way back towards where he was standing. His daughter was padding down the hallway and in her arms was her son. While the seven year old was on the small side he still looked too big and heavy in Emma's arms. But the look on his daughter's face let him know that she didn't care about that.

She walked past where he was standing, all her focus was on the precious child in her arms.

"Emma." He finally whispered making his presence know.

She turned around to face him, "Dad what are you doing up?"

"I heard footsteps and wanted to see who was outside my door." He came fully out into the hallway and closed his bedroom door so not to wake Snow.

"Sorry I tried to be quiet."

"It's okay. What are you two doing out here anyway?"

"Henry had a nightmare and couldn't go back to sleep. I even tried lighting a candle like you taught me too, but even that didn't help. So I decided to start walk up around with him. It helped when he was a baby, so I figured I'd give it a shot."

Charming looked at his daughter proudly, she was an amazing mother not that he expected her to be anything but. He hadn't been happy when his then 17-year-old daughter had come home saying she was pregnant, and worse she wasn't giving up who the father was so Charming could kill him.

The pregnancy had bee a difficult one too, Emma was on bed rest for most of it, something he felt partially responsible for. When Henry arrived too early they were all afraid he wouldn't make it, but the baby was a true member of the family and fought through.

Emma never let her son's side unless she absolutely had too. She had been a doting mother since the moment Henry entered their lives. While she had been young and without the father she had done an amazing job raising her son. She always put her son first, sometimes at the cost of her own health. She had wanted to prove to her parents that she was responsible enough to take care of her own child, which was a blessing and a curse. They were glad to see her take on the role of mother seriously, but she never asked for help when she really needed to. It was only when he and Snow forced themselves to help her did she let them, which was exactly what he was going to do now.

As Charming watched Emma yawn he pulled Henry into his arms, "Let me take him."

The child moaned at the exchange and clung to his mother, but Charming was able to calm him once he realized it he was only moving into his grandfather's arms.

"Dad, you don' have to…" She started to protest, but he quickly shushed her.

"Yes I do. You are no good to Henry if you are half asleep. Le me take over for night."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, now go back to bed. Henry will be all yours again in the morning."

Emma continued to look unconvinced, but she listened to her father. "Good night Henry I love you." She leaned up to kiss his head. "I love you too Dad, thank you."

"I love you too Emma, and Henry. You know I would do anything for you too."

"I know. Goodnight." She leaned up to kiss Charming's cheek before heading off to her own bedroom.

"It's just you and me now Henry." Charming whispered into his grandson's ear and continued on with the pacing.

Henry clung onto nightshirt and sniffled, looked like Charming was going to be the only one talking tonight. Not that he blamed the child. The poor kid had been suffering from night terrors for years now and they took a lot out of him. After one he clung onto the nearest family member until he was finally exhausted enough to fall back to sleep. He would never tell them what he dreamed about too scared to speak and relive it, but by the time he woke up in the morning he forgot what it was about.

Charming continued to walk up and down the corridor whispering reassuring words to his grandson and telling him stories about his past adventures with Snow and of his mother when she was a child. The grip on his shirt loosened slowly as the child let his grandfather's voice sooth him. He still fought hard against the pull of sleep and let out a whimper every so often that broke his grandfather's heart. As he had told Emma earlier he would do anything for his grandson, and right now he wished he could do something to ease the child's fears. All he could do now was hold the boy close and pray that it would work.

Eventually Henry exhausted himself out as his hand fell limply onto Charming's shoulder. For safe measures he walked to the end of the corridor and back, he didn't want to wake his grandson up and have to start calming him down all over again.

Quietly he opened his bedroom door and headed inside where Snow was still fast asleep. He tiptoed to his side of the bed and gently laid his grandson down.

"Charming?" Snow mumbled and rolled over to face him.

"Shh, we have a visitor." He whispered and pointed to Henry.

"Nightmare?"

Charming nodded his head, "A pretty bad one, I found Emma pacing outside with him. I told her I would take over for tonight so she can get some sleep."

"Poor Henry." Snow looked down at her sleeping grandson as she ran her fingers through his hair.

Henry's brow furrowed and Snow instantly pulled him into her arms, immediately the fear went away. Charming climbed into bed beside his wife and grandson. He watched as Snow rocked the sleeping child until she too was asleep once again. Ready to join them he threw his arm around them so they could all be together and closed his eyes for now his duties as a father and grandfather were fulfilled.


	8. Ten Years

**A/N: **So here it is the last chapter guys. Thank you all so much for sticking with me through this. You guys are all amazing and keep me going. You have inspired me so much that I plan on doing something for Christmas. I am still not exactly sure what I am doing, but be on the look out for it either on the 25 or 26. I hope you guys like this last chapter!

* * *

It was the post card he had been waiting for. Everyday for the past 11 years he looked in his mailbox hoping that it would arrive letting him know that the curse was broken. He hadn't expected it to come by pigeon, but then again it didn't surprise him with all that he knew. Either way the curse was broken and finally he could put his family back together again. It was the perfect way to end a terrible day.

He started running around the small apartment packing up things they needed for the trip to Storybrooke. He had no idea how long they would stay there, but it was better to be prepared.

"Dad, what are you doing?" The sound of his son startled him.

He looked at one of the many clocks around the apartment. Henry had come home right on time from after school, of course that was mostly because of the mom that took him and her son home.

"Packing, were going on a little trip." He answered looking at the kid.

"A trip? In the middle of the week? Why? Where are we going?"

Neal sighed; Henry was always full of questions wanting to know everything. Most of the time it didn't bother him, his son just liked to know things. But other times, like now, when he needed to focus he got frustrated with a round of 20 questions.

"We are going to Storybrooke Maine." He finally answered

"Storybrooke Maine? What's there?"

Neal stopped packing and looked directly at his son, "Your mother."

Henry stared back in shock, "My mom?"

Neal had been as honest as he could be with Henry about Emma. It was hard enough having to explain to the kid why he didn't have a mom like all his friends, let alone explain a cursed town. He did let his son know that his mom had some very important things to take care of before they could be a family, and that when it was all over he would meet her.

For the most part Henry believed him, especially when he said his mom was a hero, but other times he lashed out. Neal couldn't blame the child, he needed a mother and didn't care that she had to save people. In those moments Neal allowed him to be selfish, because he hated listening to the cries and knew that every child deserved to know their mother.

Neal took Henry's small hands into his own larger ones, "Yeah kid your mom. Why don't you help me finish packing so we can get on the road?"

Henry nodded his head and ran off to grab things that they needed, or at least that's what Neal hoped. You could never really know with a 10 year old boy what they might think is necessary.

Once everything they needed was packed and Neal went through Henry's bag taking out a few things, they were ready to go.

As they were about to walk out the door Henry stopped, "wait we forgot something."

Neal waited impatiently, he wanted to get on the road to make to it Storybrooke tonight.

"We also forgot this." Henry came back and held up the dream catcher. "I thought Mom would want to see this again."

"Good idea kid." Neal smiled, he had told his son the importance of the dream catcher and all that it did. For the most part it worked on helping his son's nightmares, though there were a few times where only a father's touch could sooth the fear. "Now let's get going."

They made their way to the car Neal had stolen in Canada; he had never found a reason to buy a new one. Plus ever since they moved to New York City they rarely used it anymore.

They had moved to Tallahassee shortly after Emma got released from prison and when Henry was about five months old. They had lived there until Henry was around six and Emma had moved to town. As much as Neal would have liked to reunite their family at the moment, he knew it wasn't the right time yet. He still needed to keep his word to August, so he moved them to New York City. He had figured that was far enough away that Emma wouldn't find them.

Once on the road Neal started to get nervous. He had no idea what Emma's reaction would be to him. Actually he knew how she would react to seeing him, it was really her reaction to Henry that he was worried about. He had promised his son that his mother did want him, but had given him up so he could have his best chance. When in reality he had no idea what Emma's reasoning was behind giving their son up for adoption. All he knew was that he had a little boy who was excited to meet his birth mother, and a birth mother who didn't know this. He just had to hope that at the end of the day their son's heart wouldn't be broken because Emma didn't want him.

During their trip they only had one stop for dinner and to stretch their legs. After that Henry passed out in the back seat. It was exactly what Neal had hoped; he wanted his son well rest when meeting Emma. He didn't doubt that Henry would be on his best behavior, not like he ever wasn't, but he got a little cranky when he didn't get enough sleep.

It was late when they pulled past the welcome to Storybrooke sign. Not ready to drive all the way into town yet Neal pulled off to the side and turned off the car. For now he would rest too, he needed to get some sleep before talking to Emma. He needed all his energy when explaining everything to her.

Far too early for Neal he felt Henry shaking his shoulder and repeating his name over and over again.

"What Henry." He moaned not ready to wake up yet.

"Where are we?"

"Storybrooke."

"Really we're here already? Where is everyone? Where is the town?"

"We are just on the edges of town kid, I didn't feel like pulling in so late."

"Why not?"

"Just because Henry."

"Well can we go there now?"

"Let me sleep for five more minutes."

"Dad." Henry whined, and he knew that sleeping was over.

"Fine we'll go." Neal groaned and pushed himself cheered in the background and crawled into the front seat.

It wasn't a far drive from the sign into the main part of town. There wasn't much to the town either. It was a dreary sort of place, than again it had been under a curse until recently.

"This is where my mom lives?" Henry asked, he didn't seem that impressed either.

"Guess so kid. Come on what do you say we get some food. I think I saw a diner when we came in." Neal suggested, he needed to get some coffee in him.

"I'm not hungry. I want to find my mom."

He let out a sigh, he was afraid of that. But he was terrible at saying no to his son, and it was probably best to for them to find Emma instead of her finding them.

Neal pulled the car off to the side to park. Henry jumped out of the car and waited impatiently for him. As soon as he was at his son's side the child grabbed his hand and looked up at his father. Neal could see how nervous kid was, even though he was putting on a brave face.

"It's gonna be okay." He smiled reassuringly.

Henry nodded his head, but his grip did not lighten as they walked down the road. There weren't too many people out walking and Neal couldn't decide if it was because it was still too early or just part of the curse.

He was starting to get nervous that they would never find Emma when he saw a flash of blonde hair. He pulled Henry along faster wanting to make sure it was her.

"Emma." He finally caught the courage to call out.

She turned around at the sound of her name and stood there in shock. She was everything Neal remembered her to be, except a few years older. Though she had lost the glasses and her hair was down instead of being in a ponytail like he remembered.

"Neal what are you doing here?" Emma growled storming closer to them.

"Wait before you say anything there is someone I want you to meet." Neal quickly stopped her before she could say something she might regret. He pulled Henry in front of him, but kept his hands on the child's shoulders. "This is Henry our son."

Emma looked down at their kid before looking back up to him in shock, "Our son?"

"Hi." Henry said shyly, it was probably the first time in his life that he was shy.

"Hi…Henry." Emma said still in shock. "How do you know about our son?" she asked looking back up at Neal.

"It's a long story that I will share with you later, but I did legally adopted him."

"You adopted him?"

"Right after you gave birth."

Emma continued to stand there in shock, and Neal was afraid of what she might do next.

"Are you mad at us?" Henry asked before Neal could say something.

"No, why would I be mad?" Emma asked crouching down to the kid's level.

"Because my dad adopted me without you knowing and then we showed up here without you knowing again."

"Don't worry I am not mad at you about that."

"Or my dad?"

"Or your dad." Emma looked up at Neal and shot him a look. He knew that she was only saying that to please their kid, he wasn't getting off the hook that easily.

"Good cause I've wanted to meet you my whole life, but dad said you had to save people before that happened. You did save them right?" Henry continued oblivious the exchange between his parents.

"Yeah kid I did." Emma answered, though Neal could tell she was confused as to how their son knew about the curse.

"Good so that means we can now be a family, right?"

"We're going to work on that slowly kid." Neal answered saving Emma. He knew that she was overwhelmed with everything Henry was asking. She nodded her head in agreement, not able to say anything else.

Henry beamed up at his mother and threw her arms around him. Emma was taken a back by the action, but eventually wrapped her arms around him as well. Neal stood back and watched the tender moment. He had always dreamed of seeing his son and his mother together. If things had been different he would have gotten to witness many of these moments. If Emma was this good with him after knowing him for a few minutes, he knew she would have been an amazing mother.

"We're never going to be apart again right?" Henry asked not breaking his hold on Emma.

"I am going to do everything in my power to make sure that happens." Emma answered without a pause.

"I have so much to tell you. Dad and I even filled tons of photo albums so that you could see all the stuff that happened."

"Well then we better get started." She pulled apart, but Neal noticed it was her that grabbed onto Henry's hand.

"Can we get something to eat too? I'm hungry."

"Of course kid."

"Dad calls me kid too."

"Does he now?" Emma looked back at Neal a twinkle in her eyes.

Henry started babbling onto his mother as they walked down the street. Emma turned around to Neal and mouth thank you to Neal. He gave her a nod of his head in return. He knew that she was thanking him for adopting their son and bringing him back into her life. Things were still not perfect and the road ahead of them was going to be bumpy, but they would get through it.

He would pull Emma aside at some point to explain everything to her, that is if he could pry their son off of her. The kid was over the moon about his mother, and it looked like Emma was along there with him. It wasn't really that hard to fall for Henry though, their kid was perfect after all just like his mother.

Soon enough the three of them would fulfill Henry's dream of having his family together. Neal wasn't too sure Emma would ever completely forgive him for what he had done, but he had a feeling that as the days went by her anger would ease up. Plus he knew Henry would worm his way into her heart even more and probably trick her into doing stuff that required the entire family. That kid was too clever for his own good, something that he got from both of his parents.

For now they would take things one day at a time. Neal was in no rush now that he had Emma back plus a very happy son. In the end they would make it work, and that was all he could really ask for.


End file.
